Love Story
by JuliaBeth
Summary: <html><head></head>I'm not famous or great.  I was just a girl in love.  My family took care of everything else.  Updated!</html>
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you recognize, just playing with them for awhile.

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><p>I was once told that writing was cathartic. It helps you get out the grief and bad stuff in life and helps you remember the good.<p>

Six weeks ago, my brother brought my husband's body home for burial. I always knew that it would happen this way, that he would die helping my brother fight the injustices of this world. I just thought we'd have more time when it did.

I've spent the last 6 weeks in bed crying. I cried for him, cried for myself, cried for our children who will grow up without really knowing him, cried for the adventures we had, and finally I cried for what we would never have now.

Last night, I decided enough was enough. I have babies to raise, a house to keep and a farm to tend and winter coming on fast. Grief is a luxury I can ill afford right now. I just can't spend any more time crying. So I decided to write this all down and get everything out, then maybe I can move on with my life. I hope that someday our children will read this and know who he was and who I was, and our love came to be.

I'm not a virgin hunter like Atalanta, or a goddess like Aphrodite. I'm not a king or a demi-god like my brothers are. I'm just an ordinary woman, and while he wasn't any of those things either, he was far from just an ordinary man.

He was Iolaus and I am Melina. Melina of Thebes and this is our story.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I am basing this off of the legend that Alchmene gave birth to tow children, one father by Amphtryon, and then Hercules, fathered by Zeus. In the legend, it Iphicles, but since the show established Iphicles as older than Hercules, I used the story for Melina. Also, this means that Amphtryon would have returned home after Alchmene had slept with Zeus and not died in battle. I don't own anyone you recognize, just playing.

I know, I know. How lame is it to fall in love with your brother's best friend? However, in my defense, they weren't even speaking to each other when I fell for Iolaus.

First, though, I suppose I should tell you exactly who I am. I am Melina, the daughter of Alchemene and Ampthryon, younger sister of Iphicles, and twin to Hercules.

How can I be Hercules' twin and Amphtryon's daughter? I really don't know, I just always assumed that if you sleep with a god, anything can happen. I guess that's why Hercules and I are about as different as two souls can be.

First of all being the obvious that he's a man and I'm a woman. He's fair and blonde; I'm olive-skinned and black-headed. He's, well, huge and I'm short and small. In fact, the only trait we share is Mother's blue eyes.

Hercules was all of six months old when he began to show his god-like strength. Mother told me that Hera had found out about the affair between her and Zeus, and so, decided to kill Hercules to get revenge. She sent poisonous serpents into the nursery to attack us. Killing me was just an added bonus apparently. Mother heard me screaming and came running in to find that Hercules had killed them and was playing with them like toys. I, on the other hand, was cowering in the corner, screaming like a banshee.

Then the scandal of my brother's actual parentage came out. If you ask me, it was way too big a scandal for what actually happened.

You see, my mother was a very beautiful woman. Unfortunately, she caught the eye of Zeus not long after marrying Father. She refused him time and time again, out of loyalty to her husband who was a soldier and off fighting most of the time. Well, one night, Father came home unexpectedly. Mother was overjoyed. They spent the whole night together, talking, playing with Iphicles, who was 2 at the time, just being a young family, and finally retiring to bed. When she awoke in the morning, he was gone, but again, this wasn't unusual for a soldier. Leave never lasted very long. Imagine her surprise when two days later, Amphtryon returned from the war for good.

When Mother began teasing him about not telling her that the end was so near when he had been home two nights before, he revealed that two nights prior, he had been on the battlefield in Corinth, fighting the very battle that ended things.

Mother realized she had been tricked.

At first, Father was furious and threw her out of the house, not believing that she had been deceived by Zeus. It wasn't until Iphicles started insisting that Father had been home before that Father decided she was telling the truth and begged her to come back. I assume that's when I came to be.

Anyway, Father stayed with her, even when it became painfully clear to everyone that Hercules was not his son. To his credit, Father did raise Hercules exactly as his son, even when the whole village thought him a cuckolded fool for it.

Now that that is out of the way, I hope you don't mind if I skip to my thirteenth year. That is when this story really begins.

Oh, I knew Iolaus before then. He and Herc became friends at the village school as boys. From then until we were around eleven, they were inseparable. My thoughts at the time was somewhere around 'stupid boys' instead of love.

I don't really know what happened then, but one day, Herc came running home from school very upset and declared that he was never speaking to Iolaus ever again.

At first, Mother just thought that thirteen year old Iolaus was just outgrowing Hercules, who at eleven could still be very much a boy at times and tried to soothe his feelings.

A few months later, Father came home with the news that Iolaus' father, the General, had left their family for another woman and that Iolaus was living on the streets and his mother and sisters had left town for parts unknown. Not that the General had ever been much of a father in the first place, but that's another story and not mine to tell.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: I know that now-a-days a 13 year old is way too young to be in a relationship, however, in Ancient Greece, 13 year old girls were married.

The year I turned 13, my life turned upside down. Father and Iphicles got in a huge fight about Iphicles being expelled from Chiron's academy and Iphicles left home. Father was called back to war in Perth, and Hercules went off Chiron's academy. My two best friends were married and had little time for their old friend; especially one they considered still a child. Finally, Mother caught a lung infection that I'm surprised didn't take her from us.

That's how I came to be in the Marketplace by myself that fall morning. You see, nice young maidens didn't go to the Marketplace alone. However, my sense of self preservation was stronger than my desire to avoid public scorn.

While being helped by Delphia, the fruit lady as Herc and I used to call her, her son suddenly jumped up from his seat and roughly pushed me aside to grab the arm of a young man.

"YOU AGAIN?" Hypatos bellowed, dragging the offender forward. "I've warned you about stealing from my cart. Now, I'm going to call the guards. They'll throw you in jail for sure this time!" He nearly laughed with delight.

I stood there, shocked, as I realized what was happening. My mouth started working before my brain did, I think.

"Iolaus?"

The young man looked at me, his features softening from the scowl he was wearing. "Mellie?"

Mellie. Hercules had given me that name as a child when he decided that Honey, or Melina, was way too sweet a name for me. No one else ever called me that. No one, that is, except Iolaus. And there he was, about to go to jail for stealing an apple. I couldn't let that happen.

"Iolaus. There you are. I thought I had lost you," I said, sternly.

"Melina, you know this…, urchin?" Hypatos said, turning to me.

"Of course, I do," I said, "and he's not an urchin, he's my escort." Reaching to take the apple from his hand, I added, "Thank you, Iolaus, for remembering that Mother wanted apples."

Hypatos looked from me to Iolaus and back again, clearing trying to decide if he believed my story. Heaving an exaggerated sigh, I said, giving him an innocent look, "Do you really think Mother would send me to the Market by myself?" Remember, nice girls didn't wander around alone.

Hypatos dropped Iolaus' arm but continued to glare at him. "No, Melina, I guess not. And you," he said to Ioluas. "I don't want to see you around here again, escort or not."

I hastily gathered up a few more apples and dropped some dinars in Delphia's hand before practically dragging Iolaus away. Out of sight of Delphia and Hypatos, I let go of Iolaus' arm.

"Um.., thanks.., for that," he mumbled.

"No problem," I said. "Just stay away from Hypatos for a while. His head hasn't been screwed on right since he came back from the war."

"Don't worry, I intend to, but still thanks."

"You're welcome," I smiled, turning to go to the herbalist's for more willow tea for Mother. "Oh!" I turned back around and tossed him the apple.

"Wait, Mellie. Where_ is_ your escort?" he asked.

"Don't have one."

"You mean Alchmene _did_ let you come to the Market alone?"

"Well, let, was too sick to argue, same thing really. So, are you one of those boys who think only bad girls wander around the village alone?"

"I don't think anyone should wander around this village alone lately," he replied, looking around, seeming to see things I didn't. "What's wrong with Alchmene?"

"Lung fever. I was headed to the healer for more medicine." Anticipating his next question, I continued on. "Father is off fighting in Perth, Hercules is gone the Academy, and Iphicles is…, just gone. It was either I go alone or watch as Mother gets sicker. I'm not doing that. Well, goodbye." I started off towards the healer again. Much to my surprise, Ioluas followed me.

"Let me walk with you," he said. "Be your escort, that way, it wasn't a lie. Besides, I owe you."

"Ok," I shrugged.

I ducked inside the healer's shop, while Iolaus waited for me at the door, saying that the healer didn't like street kids much. Through the dirty windows, I could see him talking to a rough looking group of boys, but couldn't hear what they were saying. Then, I saw him give the apple to a boy with them that couldn't have been more than 8. I should have known.

As that was my last stop, we headed back towards home. I noticed that Iolaus seemed even more determined to stay by my side.

"You don't have to walk me all the way back to our farm," I said, as we reached the city gates. "I can get there alone."

"Now, what kind of an escort would I be if I didn't see you safely home?" He asked with a grin. "Nope. You're stuck with me for the trip."


	4. Chapter 4

When we reached home, Mother was out in the garden.

"Mom," I said, rushing through the gate. "What are you doing? You should be in bed."

"Oh, I'm fine," she said, waving me away. "The Healer said I should get out in the fresh air every day, as long as I don't overdo it. I hardly think sitting at the table is overdoing it." She looked up and smiled as she noticed Iolaus standing just outside the gate. "Iolaus? Is that you? You're all grown up! Come let me look at you!"

He shuffled slowly towards her. Mother had always had a strange hold on him. When he wouldn't listen to anyone else, he'd listen to her. "How are you, Alchmene?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," she answered. "My daughter is just a bit of a worrier." She fell into a coughing spell. He took her arm and helped her set down on a bench as I got her a glass of water. When the spasm eased, she thanked us for our help, then decided to return to bed for a bit. On her way in the house, she paused to say, "Oh, Iolaus, you will stay for supper, then you can bed down in the hayloft for the night. It's far too late to walk back to Thebes today and I dare say you could do with a good meal while you're here." She disappeared in the house before he could argue.

"Looks like you are staying a while," I laughed. "Why don't you go wash up while I get supper ready? Everything is where it always was."

"Okay," he said, looking rather uncomfortable. He disappeared around the side of the house where the water barrel was.

I know you are probably thinking that Mother was rude not to offer him one of the boys' beds for the night, but she knew he would balk at that ideal. Apparently sleeping in the barn was an okay wage for being my escort, but a feather bed to sleep in would have been too much charity. I'll never understand male pride, but fortunately Mom did.

"How did Iolaus come to be your escort?" Mom asked when I went to check on her. She was lying on her bed, looking pale and drawn.

I sat down on the edge of her bed. "He saw me in the Marketplace and recognized me. He realized I was alone and offered to walk with me since there have been a lot of robberies in the village lately."

"Is that all there was to it?" she asked. Mom always could see right through us.

Hesitating for just a moment, I sighed, "No. He tried to steal an apple from Delphia's cart and Hypatos caught him and was going to call the guards. I recognized him first. I didn't think he should go to jail for stealing an apple. I mean, who would steal just one apple unless they were really hungry? So, anyway, I told them that he was my escort and only picking up the apples I forgot. When we left the cart, he was thanking me and _did_ realize I was there alone and insisted on walking with me while I finished my errands. I told him he didn't have to walk me all the way home, but he insisted again.

"He always was a nice boy," she said with a small smile.

"Would you like some more willow tea?" I asked, getting up to fix our meal. "The healer said you should drink at least 3 cups a day and you've only had one today."

"Yes, please." She replied.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" I pulled a small pouch out of my gown. "Here is the money for the grain, minus what I paid Delphia and the healer. Fidelieus said he would return our cart in the morning, after he had unloaded it."

"That's fine."

After I had her settled in bed with her tea, I set the table for Iolaus and me. It wasn't much, just some bread and cheese and some fruit and honey.

"Mom isn't up to joining us tonight," I said, as we sat down. "It's not much, but help yourself."

"It's great," he assured me.

As we ate, he asked me how things had been for us, while deflecting questions about him.

"What happened to the wall?" he asked, nodding towards the large hole just to the left of the gate.

I couldn't help but smile. "Our goat. He likes to ram things. Over and over. Either there's something wrong with him, or that wall was really threatening. Mom had to tie him up for a couple of days to make him stop."

"Hercules didn't fix it?"

"Happened after he left," I shrugged. "I'll fix it. Or just wait until he comes home at Solstice. I just haven't had time with Mother being sick."

"How long has she been sick?"

"A few weeks," I admitted. "She seems better for a few days, and then it'll come back worse than ever. The Healer says she'll get better. It just takes time."

"Oh."

We ate the rest of the meal in a comfortable silence.

As he started out to the hayloft for the night, I brought some blankets and held them out. "It might get cold out there."

He smiled and took them from me. "I'm tough." He caught my hand and pulled me closer to him. "Mellie, thanks. Thanks for everything today. It's meant more than you'll ever know." He kissed my hand so softly; I felt my breath catch in my throat. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I managed to croak out.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, when I went out to tend to the animals, I thought Iolaus would be gone. He hadn't seemed too comfortable to be staying the night before. I had been getting up extra early to do all my chores since Mother had been sick so that I could have the rest of the day to tend to her and the other things my brothers would have normally done. However, I could hear softly snoring above me as I gathered up the milking supplies. I suppressed a laugh. He always was hard to wake, I remembered from before. Once he was awake, he was a ball of energy, but getting him to wake up was the problem.

I gathered up some oats and poured them in the goat's trough, called the female goat over and tied her up. "Okay, listen up, Nanny. I know you don't like this chore any better than I do, but we just have to get through it. Give me a little cooperation and then you can go out in the field with Iphicles."

I heard a snorted laugh above me. Iolaus was looking down at me from the hayloft.

"You named the goat Iphicles?" He asked.

"Well, he made me mad," I shrugged. "It just happened to be on the day Father brought the goat home. The goat was irritating. Iphicles was being irritating. So, the goat became Iphicles."

"I guess he should be thankful Amphtryon didn't bring home a donkey," he teased. He climbed down from the hayloft. "And I guess I should get going. Got a long walk back."

"Mom wants to see you before you go," I said. "She's in the house."

When I returned to the house with the milk and eggs, I was surprised to see Iolaus was still at the table.

Mother looked up and smiled, "Melina, Iolaus has agreed to stay on for a while and do some of the repairs your Father didn't get to before he was called back to the wars. Isn't that wonderful? You'll need to tell the workman you hired yesterday not to bother."

"About that," I said, hesitantly. "I didn't hire one."

"Oh," she said, surprised. "That takes care of that then."

"Mom, I can take care of the repairs," I said, casting a sideways glance at Iolaus. Truth was Fideilus had only paid us 300 dinars for our grain the day before. Half of that had to go to the Academy for Hercules' tuition and the other half had to last till Father sent us some money. That is, if he sent any money. He didn't always. In any case, we really didn't have the money to hire a workman. Sure it wasn't lady like to build a sod wall or thatch the roof, but I could worry about being lady-like later.

"Nonsense," Mother said. "Until I'm on feet again, you're have to do everything around here and you can't possibly take care of the house, the garden, the animals, and fix the wall and thatch the roof, too. Besides, Iolaus has agreed to work for a very reasonable wage." She smiled and winked at him.

"Fine." We ate breakfast in silence, with Iolaus finishing quickly and excusing himself to start working on the wall.

"Mom, I could do that. I've helped Hercules do that stuff loads of time. Shouldn't we be saving our money, in case Father doesn't get paid for a while?" I asked.

"Well, since Iolaus would only agree to meals and a warm place to sleep as payment, I doubt it'll break the bank," she replied, looking out the window. "Gods know he could use both of those for a while. Besides, you're doing too much. You'll wear yourself out and get sick too, then where will we be?" She took my face in her hands and kissed my forehead. "You let me worry about the money, okay, Sweetheart? Your father will provide. Now, run along and show Iolaus where Hercules' tools are. I'm feeling better this morning. I can clean up from breakfast and fix my own tea."

"Yeah, and we know just how Father will provide it too, don't we?" I mumbled, rushing out the door before she could respond.

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><p>Author's note: Okay, I'm having a hard time making Melina behave. Half time she's overjoyed to have her old friend back and half the time she's resentful he's there. I'm also having a hard time staying with that she's a 13 year old girl in Ancient Greece. She wants to be liberated from societal rules, so let me know if you think she's acting too unbelievable. And Darn Alchmene! She just won't stay in the bed. Doesn't she know she's supposed to be really sick? LOL.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

I was in the garden that afternoon when Fidelius return our grain cart and horse. Or rather when his son did.

"Alkaious," I said, brushing the dirt off my skirt and meeting him at the gate. "Thank you so much for returning our horse and cart."

"My pleasure, Melina," he said, looking at me in a way that made me want to hide. Alkaious was more than twice my age and had just finished his military duty and returned home. I wasn't supposed to, but I knew he had come to see Father and propose marriage to me.

That's the way it worked back then. Girls rarely got to marry for love. When a man wanted to marry you, and you were of age, he worked the whole thing out with your father. Because foolish girls, like myself, couldn't possibly be trusted to marry well if given her own choice, and once a marriage was arranged, there was little to no way to get out of it because of the bridal price. A bridal price was like a dowry, except the groom to be paid it the girl's father for her instead of the Father paying it to the groom. You know, I can almost understand dowries, as their intended purpose is to give the girl some equity in the marriage and a means of support should her husband die. However, a bridal price just seemed like glorified prostitution to me.

I would love to say my Father refused Alkaious' proposal because he was a mean creep, but in truth, I think Father was just holding out for a higher bridal price. Anyway, ever since then, Alkaious looked at me like he knew what I looked like without my tunic on.

"Iolaus," I called out, praying he wouldn't think I was just bossing him around. "Will you please take the horse from Alkaious and stable him?" Truth was I didn't want Alkaious to have an excuse to stay around.

Iolaus stopped the work he was doing on the wall and looked at me, then at Alkaious. The suspicious scowl he had worn in the marketplace return. I thought he was mad, but the he shrugged and took the reins, leading the horse, cart and all towards the barn.

Alkaious watched Iolaus walk away, and then turned back to me. "Melina, what is that no good thief doing here?"

I bristled. "He is not a thief." Well, he wasn't. I interfered before he could actually steal the apple. Yes, I know he had stolen more than that, but I didn't see it. "He's a friend of my brothers and he agreed to do some of the repairs Father didn't get to before he was called back to Perth."

"Melina," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders, as though indulging a small child. See, one minute he wanted me in his bed, the next I was a stupid child. "He runs with the Laykos gang. They're the ones who have been terrorizing the village. Alchmene cannot let him stay here. I insist on seeing her right away."

I jerked my shoulders away, breaking his grip. "I'm sorry. Mother is still ill and can't be disturbed. Now, if you don't mind, I must go check on her." I turned and walked back to the house with all the dignity I could muster.

After Alkaious had left and I had check on Mom and told her what had happened, I fixed some lemonade and took it out to Iolaus as a peace offering.

"Sorry about that. I know it's not exactly what you agreed to do," I said, sitting down in the shade of the wall and motioning for him to do the same. "Here," I handed him the glass. "Take a break. You've been working since lunch."

He sat down beside me and took a long drink before speaking. "If you don't mind me asking, what's going on with Alkaious?"

I sighed. "He thinks if he hangs around enough, claiming to help out, then Father will relent and let him marry me."

"Marry you? But he's almost forty."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm not supposed to know, but he came to see Father when he was home to propose a marriage contract. Father refused him, but I think that he thinks that if he hangs around enough, Father'll change his mind. But he's almost Father's age."

"So, if you're not supposed to know, then how do you?" he asked.

I looked at him and grinned, "Hercules told me. Apparently, he thinks it's hilarious. Of course, Hercules isn't the one being sold like a slave."

Iolaus looked at me like he wanted to say something but stopped and just took my hand and held it in his. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before he stood up and pulled me to my feet.

"Supper will be ready soon," I said, pulling my hand from his and headed in the house. I know I should have asked him about what Alkaious had said about Laykos gang, but at that moment, I didn't really want to know.


	7. Chapter 7

We continued like that for the next few days. I would finish up with my chores, see that Mother was comfortable and would then venture out to help Ioluas with whatever he was working on. Some days we would talk and others we worked in a comfortable silence. It was almost like having Hercules back. Almost.

I told him how Iphicles had been expelled for fighting with another cadet at Cheiron academy and got expelled. The other cadet hadn't been expelled, he was still at the academy and apparently becoming Hercules' new best friend, despite the fact that our brother was now gone because of him. Hercules, in his letters home, tried to tell me that Iphicles was gone because of Iphicles' own temper. Maybe so, but I still thought that if the other cadet hadn't been Jason of Corinth, the results would have been different.

Iolaus told me that he knew where his mother and sisters were. His mother had taken up with a poet in Calydon and the one time he'd gone to check on them, they all seemed happy.

"So, why didn't you stay with them?" I asked, looking up from the reeds I was tying together to make thatch for the roof. "I mean, your mother was always nice." When the General wasn't home, I thought but didn't add. Too many times in our childhood, Iolaus had shown up at the door sporting various bruises, cuts and even a broken arm once. Those visits always seem to coincide with Skouros' returns from his various battles.

"I didn't want to mess things up for her," he said, rather sadly. "I mean, my sisters are six and ten. They need taking care of a lot more than I do and if Skouros isn't willing to do it, then I'm just glad this guy will. I doubt he'd want to take in a smart mouth thief too. Besides, my mom seemed happy for the first time in a long time, so I decide to just stay away and let her be happy for once." He grabbed a pile of reeds and headed back up the ladder. Figuring that it was still a sore subject, I let it drop and continued to work on the reeds in silence.

I don't know how long we worked like that: me tying the reeds up and him coming down to drag a few bundles at a time up to the roof.

"Melina! Melina!" I looked up to see my best friend, Toula running across the field that separated our farms. She had her chilton up around her knees, running full speed towards our fence. Whatever she had to tell me was big news. I stood up, brushing off my tunic the best I could, then took off toward her, yelling to Mom inside, "Toula's on her way!" Forgetting all about Iolaus up on the roof and that I had been trying to act more grown up for reasons I couldn't explain yet.

I met her halfway. "Toula, what's gotten into you?" I asked with a laugh as we nearly collided, then collapsed on the ground.

She sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. "The greatest thing, Melina. I'm getting married. It'll be Saturday next and I came to ask you to be one of my maids. Can you believe it? I'm getting married!"

I felt my heart sink in my chest. Toula was my only one of my old friends who wasn't married yet. "That's great!" I faked a smile. After all, Toula was nearing fourteen and we were both of marriageable age. This is what I should have been hoping for. "To who?"

"Nikkos." She sighed, happily. Nikkos was a soldier that had grown up on a farm to the north of town. Toula had had a crush on him since she was little. And he wasn't that old. Barely twenty. However, he was a soldier and had only completed four of his fifteen years of service. She would be moving with his family on the other side of Thebes though. I rarely saw her now and would never see her then. I was happy for her, but selfishly sad for me. We were supposed to go to train as midwives together the next year. At least, that was our plan. Apparently, our fathers had different plans.

I stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Oh, Toula, that's great," I said, honestly. "Let's go tell Mother."

"Well, we have to wait for Tina," she said, looking across the field.

I inwardly groaned. Toula's sister Katina and I didn't really get along. She was two years older than us and had married two summers before. Since then, she had gone from a bossy know-it-all to completely unbearable. Her husband was twenty years her senior and one of the richest men in Corinth. However, she spent an awfully lot of time at her parents' farm for a married woman.

When she was in sight, I invited her up to the house with us.

While I fixed some lemonade and honeycakes, Toula told Mother all about the wedding. They were getting married in a hurry because he had to go to Perth, to the war, soon and didn't want to wait until he got back.

I took the food and drink out in the garden, happy that Mother was having a good day and was able to join us. I helped Mother get settled, then served the food and poured the lemonade.

"Is that Iolaus, General Skouros' son?" Tina asked, nodding towards the roof.

Iolaus. I hate to say, I had forgotten he was up there, and that I was supposed to be helping him. I called up to him, "Iolaus, come get something to eat."

He nodded.

"He certainly has grown," Tina remarked, watching as he climbed down the ladder. She had a very appreciative look on her face that irritated me to no end. I couldn't understand why. I mean, Tina had always been a flirt and had even made a play for Iphicles when he was home. Her husband didn't care what she did as long as she was happy, she claimed. I thought it was that he just didn't care about her. Everyone knew he'd father two children with one of his slaves. I thought that was kind of sad, but I still didn't want her simpering and flirting with Iolaus.

"Sorry," I laughed, handing him a cup and a honeycake. "I kind of left you in the middle. You know Toula and Katina, right?"

He nodded at them. "Nice to see you."

"Toula came to tell me she was getting married," I said, trying to explain.

"Congratulations," he said, kindly, smiling at Toula, who blushed up to her ears.

"Yes, we never thought anyone would make a decent offer," Tina laughed, causing Toula to blush even more. "Please have a seat." She slid over and patted the bench beside her.

"No thanks," Iolaus shook his head. "I think I'm a little too dirty to sit at the table with you ladies. I think I'll just get back to work."

"Nonsense," Tina laughed, touching his arm. "You can't be any worse than Melina. Really?" She turned toward me. "A tunic?" She laughed again, as if she was only joking, but somehow, it didn't feel like a joke.

This time it was me who blushed. I looked down at my tunic. True, only little kids wore only their tunics and by the time you were thirteen, a lady was supposed to be wearing dresses or chiltons, and I had plenty of those, but thatching was a dirty job and I hadn't wanted to ruin one of my good dresses. It wasn't like I had been expecting company, but I was painfully aware of how I looked sitting next to Tina. She was wearing a silk dress, with her hair beautifully arranged and I was wearing a stained tunic, with my hair hanging free and dirt smudges on my face.

"I should get back to work," he repeated, pulling his hand away. "Congratulations, again, Toula. Glad to see you're feeling better, Alchemene."

As we continued to visit, listening to Toula's wedding plans, I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering up to roof, where Iolaus was working and I noticed that Tina seemed to be having the same problem. That is when she wasn't 'joking' about how Toula's bridal price hadn't been half of what hers was and how everyone would think the worst of such a rushed wedding.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, so maybe I did know why Tina flirting with Iolaus bothered me so bad. I just wasn't ready to put it in to words yet. But, I did know that I couldn't wait to get through with my chores and outside to help him every day. I also knew ever since Toula and Tina's visit, I had taken care to pull my hair back every morning and wear one of my nicer day dresses. No more looking like a little girl if I could help it.

However, that day, I couldn't help it. I had to go hunting. I know Mother wanted to send Iolaus, especially since she was running out of repairs for him to do and was looking for ways to keep him with us, instead of back in Thebes on the street again. I, though, wanted to prove to Mother that I could hunt as well as the boys could and keep our food stores up so that we didn't have to butcher the pigs or goats before they were grown. So, after breakfast, I returned to my room and put on my leather leggings, one of Herc's hand-me-down shirts, and my winter boots. I went into the great room and took Herc's old bow and quiver of arrows down from the mantle.

"Going hunting?" Mother asked as she cleaned up from breakfast. She had been getting stronger and hadn't had a relapse in a few days.

"Yeah," I said. "I need to at least check the boys' traps. I would hate to think of some poor animal out there stuck." Yes, I'll hunt and kill animals, but for food only and the thought of one being trapped and have to slowly starve to death is unthinkable to me.

"Take Iolaus with you," she said.

"Why?" I so did not want to do that. "Isn't he finishing up the fence around the pig pen today?"

"That can wait," she replied.

"I can go hunting by myself. I know where they leave their traps," I protested.

"Now, listen to me, Melina," she said. "Toula's mother told me that there have been reports of bandits hiding out in those woods, so if you want to go out there, you have to take Iolaus with you. That's all there is to it."

"Fine." I grumbled. The day wasn't starting out very well. Things would turn around though. This would be the day I met Aphrodite.

"I have to go hunting," I said to Iolaus, walking out to where he was cutting lumber for the fence. "Mom says you have to go with me. So, come on."

"Please."

"What?"

"Mom says you have to go to with me, so come on, _please,_" he replied, not looking up from what he was doing.

"Come with me, _PLEASE,_" I repeated rather sarcastically. I know, I was irritated at Mom but Iolaus seemed to be the cause of my frustrations. I mean, if he wasn't there, I'd have gone by myself and I was tired of everyone thinking I was a helpless girl.

"I'll get my things," he said, setting aside the saw.

An hour or so later, we were walking through the woods, checking traps. So far, I had gotten 2 rabbits in the snares.

"Why all the sudden interest in hunting?" Iolaus asked.

"I don't want some poor animal starving in one of our traps," I replied.

"Wait, you'll kill animals, but you don't want them stuck in snares? And I've been here for almost three weeks now and you haven't been out here. Don't you think all the animals in the traps would have died by now?" He asked.

"First of all, yes, I hunt for food, but I don't enjoy making living creatures suffer unnecessarily. Killing them quickly is one thing; however, making them starve to death is another. Second, Andros, Toula's brother, uses these snares too. He and Hercules have a deal that both can use them as long as you reset them when you empty them. Considering we've only gotten two rabbits off of six snares, I figure he's been out here recently. Third, if you don't want to be here, then leave! You know Mom's only…" I stopped, realizing that my big mouth was about to run to away with me.

"Mom is only what?" He pressed.

"Nothing, nothing. Aren't you supposed to be quiet when hunting?" I adjusted my pack and pushed ahead of him.

I stopped to check a trap when I saw a deer across the clearing. Slowly, I stood up and aimed my bow. This was the part I dreaded. No matter how hard Hercules and Iphicles had tried to teach me, I just couldn't make those arrows go where I wanted them too. I took a deep breath and let the arrow go.

It fell about 10 feet in front of me. Great.

The soft snickering from behind me didn't help. I felt my cheeks burn as I blushed. I hurriedly grabbed another arrow out the quiver and took aim again before the deer ran off.

"Have you ever shot that bow before?" Iolaus asked, softly.

"Yes," I hissed.

Iolaus quietly moved to stand right behind me. He pulled me against him, then put his hands over mine, helping me sight the arrow down my arm. "Don't hold the bow so tight. Now, pull the string back slowly." He moved his hands to my waist. "Let go."

The arrow flew through the air and hit the deer. It ran a few steps, and then dropped. I couldn't believe it. I had never hit anything before. I dropped the bow and in excitement, turned and threw my arms around Iolaus.

"I did it!" I exclaimed. "I hit it! Did you see?" I was practically jumping up and down.

"I saw," Iolaus said, laughing. He held me tightly. I stopped hopping up and down and looked at him.

He was looking at me, intently, a small smile on his lips. For a minute, I thought…

Suddenly he pushed me away. "I'd better go make sure it's dead. Don't want to chase it all afternoon," he said, nodding towards the deer.

I was surprised to find I was disappointed. I picked up the misshot arrow and my bow as I watched Iolaus get the deer ready to carry back home. It was a good deer. Between it and the traps, Mom and I would have enough meat to last until Hercules came home at Winter Solstice.

I heard a giggle behind me. "You like Curly!"

I whirled around to see a scantily-clad woman appear out of nowhere. I started to scream when she put her hand over my mouth.

"Don't bother," the blonde said. "Curly wouldn't be able to see me, even if you do scream. Besides, I'm not going to hurt you. We're family. Sort of."

I continued to stare at her, not sure if I was seeing things, losing my mind, or what. "Who are you?"

"Hello? I'm Aphrodite!" She put her hands on her hips. "Goddess of love, daughter of Zeus and Dione, and like you, half sister to the half mortal Hercules. Is any of this ringing a bell?"

Okay, so I didn't know much about the gods and goddesses, but the one thing I did know was that Hercules said not to trust any of them and I figured that since he knew some of them personally, he should know. Also, I wasn't too sure why Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, was hanging out in the woods. Artemis, sure, she was Goddess of the Hunt, but Aphrodite?

"No offense," I said. "But, why are you here?"

"Duh," she laughed, motioning toward Ioluas. "You like Sweetcheeks. I'm the Goddess of Love. I suppose that could cover puppy love. Besides, I've always wanted a little sister." She stopped and looked at Iolaus. "He's almost done. He'll think you're talking to yourself. Mortals don't like it when they think other mortals are talking to themselves. I'd better go. We'll talk later." She disappeared just like that.

I shook my head and blinked. Surely that wasn't just a figment of my imagination was it?

"Are you okay?" Iolaus asked, coming toward me with the deer slung across his shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, still looking at the spot where Aphrodite had been standing.

"Well, let's go then," he said, heading back. "This thing isn't going to get any lighter."

"Okay." I followed him, wondering if that had really happened.

And PUPPY LOVE?


	9. Chapter 9

I am not sure that Mother ever believed I was the one who shot that deer, but since it meant that we'd make it through the winter or until one of the boys came back, she didn't press the issue. Once we had it butchered and stored, she cooked a big meal to celebrate, she said.

Iolaus had, well, not really avoided me, but at least, kept his distance from me since that day in the woods. I also hadn't seen Aphrodite since then either. I was beginning to think that I had imagined everything that had happened in the woods. I had never imagined falling in love, or having a crush. I never really even thought about it. I just figured that one day my father would arrange a marriage for me, probably to one of his soldiers, and that would be that. I had hoped that I could talk him into letting me train as a midwife, or possibly even a healer first. He did believe that a woman should be able to take care of herself, since he'd seen so many widows made.

However, I knew that I definitely liked Iolaus. I could hardly keep my thoughts on anything else. I knew it was futile. I would marry whoever Father decided was best. That's just the way it was for girls like me. But still…

I was sitting in the garden, yes, just sitting. I was supposed to be weeding the vegetables, but in truth, I was just watching Iolaus work on a gate. He tested the latch a few times, before turning to me and smiling.

"I think it's done," he said. "Think the pigs want to test it out?"

I laughed. "If pigs care where they live, then I'm sure they do." I stood up and went to the barn. "Come on, Petunia, come on, Hercules," I said, picking up one of the piglets, hoping the other would follow his sister out. I set Petunia over the fence then open the gate. "Come on, Hercules, come on and go in your new home."

Iolaus double over with laughter. "What on earth did Hercules do that was bad enough to have pig named after him?"

I shut the gate and turned away. "He left. He left and he didn't take me with him." I went back to the garden. I sat down and started pulling weeds rather viciously. Okay, so I was mad at Hercules for going to the academy and leaving me stuck at home. Common sense said I should have been mad at Iphicles, because at least I knew Hercules would be coming home for breaks and we didn't even know where Iphicles was, but the betrayal felt worse from Hercules. I mean, we are twins. We'd been partners from moment one and he just walked away to go play soldier without even a backwards glance.

Iolaus came over and sat down beside me. "You're mad at Hercules for going to the Academy? You had to know he'd go."

It was a fair statement. Any family with any means sent their sons to the Academy to learn to be soldiers. I shouldn't have been surprised by it. "No, considering he always said he didn't _want_ to go, I figured he'd refuse, especially since Iphicles was expelled. Then Father started talking about how he was so big and so strong and needed to learn how to handle himself and off he went happily leaving me here to deal with everything here."

"Mellie, stop." He caught my hands. "You're pulling up Alchemene's zucchinis."

"Oh." I looked at the 'weeds' around my knees, while trying not to notice that Iolaus hadn't let go of my hands. I looked up at him and laughed. "Do you think she'd notice if I didn't plant them back?"

"Listen, Amphitryon's right. Hercules does need to go to the Academy to learn to fight without…; well we both know Hercules could really someone if he lost his temper." He smiled and pushed a stray curl from my face. He put his hand against my cheek and kissed me. His lips were so soft and warm as they brushed across mine. I could hardly believe it had happened. He pulled away and smiled at me again. "I should probably go see if there's anything else Alchemene needs me to do," he said, getting to his feet. "By the way, I do know she's just trying to keep me here to fatten me up."


	10. Chapter 10

That night I was lying in bed, trying to quiet my thoughts so I could sleep when the blonde lady from the forest appeared by my bed. I jumped up with a start, intending to run. Why, I didn't know, I already knew she was a goddess. She reached out and caught my shoulders, pushing me back on the bed.

"Relax," she said, cheerfully. "I'm not going to hurt you. I told you I'd be back." She sat down on the bed with me and crossed her legs.

I sat up, eyeing her cautiously. "Not to be rude, but why are you here?"

"I told you," she said with a shrug. "I want a little sister. I could wait around for Zeus to have another kid, but I could be waiting centuries for that and to be honest, I'm really not that good at the waiting thing. So, I thought I'd find my own little sister and well, since you're already Hercules' sister then you could be mine too. I mean we already have a link and all."

"You want me to be your sister?" I asked, suspiciously. What would a Goddess want with me? "I'm not like Hercules, you know."

"Of course you're not," she laughed. "If you were, I wouldn't want to make you my little sister. I mean, Herc's nice and all, but he can be such a drag sometimes."

"Don't you already have sisters?"

"Artemis and Athena?" She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Bores! Total bores. All Artemis cares about is hunting and the animals and the Earth. Please! Athena always has her pointy little nose in a book and when she does talk to me it is to lecture me about some boring facts. Like I need to know how many stars there are in the sky. Oh, and I guess Persephone is our sister too, but she's such a Mama's baby, just try to pry her off Demeter's skirts."

"But why me?" I asked, still nervous.

"I've been watching you. You're fun, you're cute, we're both Herc's sisters and besides, you need my help."

"I do?"

"Duh! You like Curly! He's all you've been thinking about for weeks now."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Once again," she sighed. "Goddess of Love here! I can help you get him. It wouldn't be hard, trust me."

"I don't want to 'get' him. And even if I did, what would be the point?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"My father will pick my husband and I doubt he'll choose a fifteen year old street kid," I replied.

"Who said anything about a husband?" She laughed. "There's plenty of time for that. I just meant courting, maybe some kissing. Besides, if your father does arrange a marriage for you, then when you're old and gray, you can think about the summer you spent with a sweet, cute boy that you chose. Do you know how many Dear Aphrodite scrolls I get from women who wish they'd done that very thing when they were young?"

She had a point, but still she was a goddess. My family hadn't really fared that great in dealings with most gods. "Why do you want to help me?"

"Because that's what sisters do isn't? Talk about boys and hair and clothes?" She looked hopeful and excited. For a moment she looked like a normal girl and not, well, Aphrodite.

"I wouldn't know," I laughed. "I have brothers."

"All the more reason to be my sister," she smiled. "Come on! What do you say? It'll be fun."

"Hercules says not to trust the gods," I said, honestly.

"That is so like him," she said, sounding annoyed. "Ask him if he trusts Nemesis next time he says that. Listen, I'll make you a deal. Take my advice tonight and if it works, then we'll give this sister thing a try and if it doesn't, well, then, I'll leave you alone."

I eyed her suspiciously. This had to be too good to be true. Still I figured she'd get bored with this in a few weeks and leave me alone anyway, so I said, "Sure. We can try it. What's your advice?"

"Put on your cloak and go sit in the garden," she said. "I can guarantee you won't be out there a minute before Ioluas joins you. Just talk to him and well, whatever else happens."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, getting out of bed and brushing my hair.

"Positive!" she grinned. "It'll work. I should know. I invented this move. Now go." She disappeared in a flash.

I stopped to stare out the window for a moment. I hoped she was right and I was about to make a fool of myself. I put on my cloak and tiptoed out, careful not to wake Mom. The moon was full and so bright I didn't even need a candle to find my way to the garden bench. I gathered my cloak around me to ward off the cold and sat down to wait.


End file.
